The 49 deaths and 53 injured in the early hours of June 12, 2016 have mobilized the LGBTQ and allied community! The Pulse Club shooting has shattered our psyche. This senseless shooting in Orlando hit a nerve. A LGBTQ gathering space was violated. It was a calculated attack on us, to make our community uneasy and make us fearful.

Yes, it is Pride, the time to reflect on the beauty, the strength and vitality of our sexuality and gender identity. It’s the time to come together for celebration. It’s about community and family, and especially the family we share as LGBTQ people.

I’ve had the chance to talk a bit about Amoris Laetitia with some of these folks, all of whom felt its condemnation of violence fell short of what they felt would be needed to change culture and law. I don’t know how the others responded, but these are among the people who hoped for Good News, and whom I believe failed to hear it in this document.

In early March, the DignityUSA board facilitated the first discussion with six faith communities to share their accomplishments, their hopes, and how the board can assist with the issues on the ground. That conversation was full of hope; the representatives shared rich stories of accomplishments, and the successes of communities often do not get press.

DignityUSA is using this season to continue our mission in many ways, such as supporting Girl Scouts in the St. Louis Archdiocese, advocating for church workers who get fired because they marry the person they love, and speaking out when bishops deny full equality to LGBT Catholics.

May 2016 be a year of surprising blessings and deep joys for you! We anticipate it will be another busy and eventful year for DignityUSA. As 2015 drew to a close, we had some hints of what may lie ahead for this year.

Looking Ahead to a New Year of Dignity
Marianne Duddy-Burke
Executive Director
DignityUSA